Mechanical toy.



R. B. BLISS.

- MECHANICAL TOY. APPLICATION FILEI )]UNE10, l9l6.

Pa ented Fb.27,1917.

1,217,885. I q 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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v AZ AZ 4 /4 /9. 4"; I I '28 1a 5 ROY B. BLISS, OF OTSEGO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN F. BAIN, OF PITTSBURGH,

. PENNSYLVANIA.

MECHANICAL TOY.

To azz whom it may concern. Be it known that 1, R01 BLISS, a citizen of the United States, an-l resident of 'Otsego, in the county of Allegan and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Toys, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to mechanical toys and more particularly to such operable by sand or other granular matter of high specific gravity.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a toy which will operate for a considerable length of time due to the force of gravity acting upon granular material and other elements of high specific gravity, the granulag material being first manually lifted to a suitable hopper and a ortion ofwhich is periodically lowered by mechanical means; and, to provide a simple toy which willsimulate' a wind mill, but which operates success-fully dependent in no way upon wind or breezes.

Other objects of my invention are to pro vide a toy which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easily maintained in good repair, and capable'of being set into operation by a small child as well as an adult; and, a toy which will prevent leakage or scattering ofgranular material to one side of the toy.

Further objects of my invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view through a toy embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to'Fig. 1 showing I the upper portion of the toy, but with certain parts in a position other than that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the toy.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. V

In the drawings, where similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the views, A designates a suitable frame; B a load such as granular material,-sand; C means for lowering the load, and in the example shown including a bucket D and means E permitting upward and downward movement of saidbucket and for raising the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25:, 1917.

same when empty; F mechanism for' auto-- matically placing the load in bucket D; G a wind wheel or other device for preventing quick action of means C H a container for receiving the load when lowered; and I a device for freeing the bucket D of its load when lowered.

Referring first to the frame A, it may be built up of wire, including uprights 5, lower horizontal sections 6, and upper sections -7, which sections join the uprights 5.

As to the load B, while it is preferred to use granular material, such as sand, small. shot may be used if desired;

In order that the toy will serve to amuse. and stimulate an interest in. the laws of gravity, the means C is provided for lowering the load periodically, said means includingin addition to the bucket D, an upright guide 8 comprising a main body portion 9 and lateral flanges 10; a shaft 11, carried by bearings 12; drums 13-and 14 on said shaft; a cable 15 having one endportion secured to drum 13, and its other end portion operatively connected with bucket D as through bail-1G, a second cable 17 secured to drum 14, at one end portion; and, a weight 18 secured to the free end portion of cable 17. The cable 15 is trained circumferentially about drum- 13 in one direction, while the cable 17 is trainedcircumferentially about drum 14 in a counter direction, so that, as the shaft 11 moves circumferentially due to the force of gravity acting upon weight 18, the cable 15 will be wound about drum 13 raising the bucket D vertically in guide 8. As soon as there is a sufficient amount of the load B in the bucket to overbalance weight 18,-the bucket D descends, moving shaft 11 in a direction counter to that hereinbefore mentioned, winding cable 17 about drum 14, which action raises the weight 18.

Referring now to mechanism F for automatically placing the load, it comprises a hopper 19, having a gravity exit'20, the sides of said hopper preferably inclined downwardly toward said exit; a valve 21 pivotally carried by hopper 19,- as at 22,

intermediate its ends, the portion 23 of valve main body portion 9 of fore or during descension, will in hopper 19, as indicated by dotted lines Fig. 1, and in full lines in-ifiig, 2. -However, as the bucket 18 rinsed due to act on pf gravity upon Weight 18, the arm 2% comes in engagement with valve 21, moving it to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, whereupon a portion of the load flows by gravity into the bucket. As soon as there is a suilicient amount of the load in said bucket to overcome the weight 18, the bucket D descends, whereupon the valve 21 swings to normal position shutting oil the exit 20 of hopper 19.

For the purpose of simulating a Wind mill, the Wind Wheel G is secured to or movable by action of shaft 11. This Wind Wheel has the dual function of simulating a vind Wheel, and also to retard movement of shaft 11, or prevent quick action of the means C. V fl'iile l have herein shown a Wind Wheel for this purpose, it is to be understood that a fly Wheel might be substituted to accomplish the last mentioned function, Without departing, from the spirit of my invention. By the provision of a device such as G, the toy will operate for a longer period than if nothing material were placed to retard circumferential movement of the shaft 11 in either direction.

In order to free the bucket D of its load, when lowered, I prefer to form the bucket with a bottom 26 inclined upwardly from its proximity to the main body portion 9 of guide 8, and to provide a downwardly extending projection 27 adjacent said'main body portion and to one side of the center of gravity of the bucket. Adjacent the lower portion of guide 8, an obstacle or cross bar I is provided, spaced from the guide 8, and preferably carried by the flanges 10. lhus as the bucket D descends, the projection '27 is disposed between obstacle l and main body portion. 9 and the inclined bottom 26 of the bucket engages said obstacle. As the shaft 11 continues to rotate due to attained momentum, the bucket D tilts as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1., disposing its load in the container H, at which time the Weight 18 is in the position, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. r y

it is to be observed that the container H may be disposed directly beneath theguide 8 and inasmuch as the bucket D moves in a vertical direction, any 'ranular material which may drop from the bucket either bennd i s on ainer, and t us,

r it become scar erection counter to that of merely to dispose the granular material in hopper 19 and the toy starts to operate as soon as there is a suilicient amount of granular gnaterial in the bucket D to overbalance the Weight 18. The toy continues to operate until all of the granular material has been transferred to the container H. During descension of the bucket, the Wind -Wl189l G rotates in one direction, and during descension of the weight 18, it rotates in a counter direction, simulating a Wind mill, and retarding rotation of the drums 13 and 14 so that the toy Will continue to-operate for a considerable length of time and without frequent replenishment of the granular material in hopper .19.

" automatically placing a load in said bucket when in a raised position, and a Wind Wheel rigid with said shaft.

2. In a toy, the combination of a bucl\'et,a shaft, two drums in spaced apart relation on said shaft, a cableoperatively connected with said bucket and to one of said drums to be wound thereon in one direction, a second cable connected With the other of said drums to be Wound thereon in a direction counter-to that of said first cable, a Weight carried by said second cable, and means for automatically placing the load in said bucket when in a raised position.

3. A toy comprising in combination, a frame, an upright guide carried thereby, a horizontal shaft carried by extending above said guide, shaft over said a drum on said guide, a bucket in operative relation to said guide to move up and down in its Way, a cable operatively connected with said bucket, and to said drum to be would thereon in one direction, a second drum on said shaft remote from said first drum, a second cable connected with said second drum to be Wound thereon in a di said first cable, a Weight carried by said second cable, and means for automatically placing a load in said bucket When'in a raised position.

at. In a toy, ihe combination of a P10111301 adapted to receive a granular load, said hopper provided With a gravity exit, a valve oivotally carried intermediate its ends having a horizontal axis of oscillation, one portir-n of said valve to one side of said AXIS, being relatively heavier than that portion to the other side of axis, and said last mentioned portion normally closing said exit, a vertically movable bucket, 1nechanism for raising said bucket when empty, an arm carried by said bucket adapted to engage the under side of the said heavier portion of said valve to open said eXit when the bucket is in close proximity to said hopperto receive a portion of the load therefrom, and mains for freeing said bucket of its load upom descension.

5. In a toy, the combination of an upright guide. a bucket including a, wallengaging said guide, and a portion inclined from said wall to provide a combined bottom and wall, a flexible member for pendantly and movably supporting said bucket. said mcmber operatively connected with said bucket intermediate said wall and upper end of said inclined portion, and a hopper provided with an exit over the said inclined portion of said bucket to deliver granular material thereinto, said granular material accumulatin between said wall and inclined portion of-said bucket, holding the said wall of the latter in engagement w th said-guide.

(3. In a mechanical toy, thejcombinationof a vertically movable bucket proylded with downwardly extending"projection wh'olly to one side of the center of gravity of said bucket, and an obstacle in the path of a downwardly projectingelement adjacent j said main body portion, an obstacle adjacent the lower portion of said guide, and

a container beneath said guide way.

8; In a mechanical toy, the combination of an upright guide comprising an elongated main body portion and lateral flanges, a

bucket guided thereby, said bucket provided with a bottom inclined upwardly from the said main body portion of said guide, an obstacle ad acent the bottom portlon of said guide, and a contalner beneath said guide way.

ROY B. BLISS. 

